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Dodd Gerhardt
Dodd Gerhardt is a recurring character in Season 2 of Fargo. He is the eldest of the three brothers of the Gerhardt family. Early Life Dodd grew up surrounded by crime in the Gerhardt family. Under his father, Otto Gerhardt, he learned the ways of the criminal life. Appearance Dodd is a tall, muscular man with an underbite, dark hair, and distinctive sideburns. He often wears a flat cap and a brown leather jacket. Under his jacket, he wears a shoulder holster. Personality Dodd is the oldest living Gerhardt brother. After the stroke that paralyzes his father Otto, he believes he should become head of the family. Dodd seems to be the most hot-headed member of the family. In his eyes, violence is always the best way to sort things out, and unlike the rest of the family, he always has been in favor of war. He holds sexist ideals, believing that women should not have a word in the crime business. He also thinks that his mother, Floyd, is too soft to run the syndicate and he doesn't share the progressive ideals of his daughter, Simone. Nevertheless, he is a family man who believes his actions are innocuous and for the greater good. Season 2 "Waiting for Dutch" Dodd is first seen waiting with Hanzee Dent for Dodd's younger brother Rye to arrive with a sum of money. When Rye arrives, Dodd confronts him for being late, then asks where the money is. Rye replies that he spent it on himself. Dodd tells him that money is earned for the family, not for oneself. Rye becomes frustrated with how he is being treated, claiming that he is a man. Dodd tells him that he is the "comic in a piece of bubble gum, and that he has until tomorrow to bring the money. Dodd returns with Hanzee to the Gerhardt residence where he meets with his parents, Otto and Floyd, and his brother, Bear. Dodd makes Bear give him the seat closest to their father. Floyd remarks that the family is losing money, and Otto looks to his sons. Both Dodd and Bear insist that it isn't their fault, and Otto asks Dodd about Rye. Dodd tells his father that he is handling the situation. Otto begins to berate Dodd for being unable to hold back the tide of the Kansas City Mafia, but is interrupted when he has a stroke. “Before the Law” Dodd is in the barn interrogating a man, who has bled out and died on account of Hanzee cutting his ears off when Charlie comes to fetch him when Kansas City arrives at the Gerhardt residence. As Dodd, Charlie, Bear, and Hanzee pass by the Wayne and Gale Kitchen, Dodd flicks the butt of his cigar at them. He then passes by Mike Milligan, and the two stare each other down as they go their separate ways. Inside the house, Dodd asks his mother who they were. When Floyd tells him that it was Kansas City, Dodd is surprised that they came to Floyd instead of him. Floyd asks where Rye is. Dodd tells her that he is probably off with a girl. When Bear asks what Kansas City was offering, Floyd says that there is no room for family business anymore. Dodd jumps to the conclusion that they are going to war, but Floyd tells him what she told Kansas City: that she would consult with her partners. Floyd then tells the family that Otto is not and possibly will not ever be in a lucid state. When Charlie suggests that they have a moment of silence, Dodd jumps at the opportunity to declare himself boss and says that they should tell Kansas City to leave them alone. When Bear tells Dodd that the boss should be Floyd, Dodd is incredulous, saying that the boss can't be a woman. Floyd tells everyone else to leave so shew may talk to Dodd in private, but Dodd tells Hanzee to stay. Floyd explains how Dodd is only a small part of the Gerhardt empire, then promises him that once the conflict with Kansas City has passed, she will give him what he wants. She then tells Hanzee to find Rye. Later, as he exits the kitchen, Dodd stops Hanzee in the hall and asks him if he is on his side. He then tells Hanzee to bring Rye to him first, not his mother, in order to use Rye as leverage. "The Myth of Sisyphus" Dodd is attending a meeting inside the Gerhardt residence, alongside his mother, Bear, and syndicate lieutenants Roost Bolton, Mickey Grout, and Joey Seymour. As they discuss what to do about the Kansas City Mafia, Dodd is adamant that they attack as soon as possible, despite Floyd and Bear disagreeing with him. The lieutenants agree that they are unwilling to make the first move, but they will fight alongside the Gerhardts if they must. Dodd is somewhat satisfied with this response. Later, Dodd pulls up to the Gerhardt residence to see Lou Solverson and Ben Schmidt questioning Floyd. He asks what's going on, and Floyd informs him that Ben is telling her that Rye killed Irma Mundt. Dodd exclaims that it would be pointless for Rye to kill a judge, as the Gerhardts own all the judges. When Ben tells Dodd about Rye's prints on the gun, Dodd threatens him. Lou quickly tells Dodd that he is the one who found the gun, and the two square off. Lou is telling Dodd that Mike Milligan is also looking for Rye when Charlie tells Dodd that Hanzee is on the phone, asking for Dodd to meet him at the dig. Dodd leaves to answer the phone. Dodd arrives at the dig, where he finds Simone standing outside Hanzee's truck. He tells her to get back inside. When Simone tells her father that she is the one who brought Skip Sprang to the dig, he hits her and tells her that her outfit is embarrassing him, then crushes the joint she tries to smoke. Angry, Simone asks if hitting her turns Dodd on, and he throws her in the car before going to meet with Hanzee. He interrogates Skip, trying to find out where Rye is. When Skip does not give him the information he wants, Dodd chokes him, then signals for Hanzee to corner Skip in a grave-sized hole dug into the ground, where he is buried under hot asphalt. Dodd then orders Hanzee to find Rye, telling him that if anyone gets in his way, he kills them. "Fear and Trembling" The episode begins with a flashback to 1951, showing a young Otto driving down the road with Dodd as a child. The two enter a movie theater playing Moonbase Freedom, a (fictional) film starring Ronald Reagan. Otto directs Dodd to sit away from him and be quiet so he and Kellerman can meet in private. Kellerman accuses Otto of coming to avenge his father, Dieter Gerhardt, then tells him that has rightfully claimed power. One of Kellerman's men puts a gun to Otto's head, and Kellerman begins telling Otto that it was stupid of him to bring his son along. Otto tells him that he has to learn how men are. Before Kellerman can give the order to have Otto shot, Dodd stabs him in the back of the neck, killing him instantly. Otto kills Kellerman's henchmen, while Dodd, shocked, stares blankly at the knife. Otto tries to get Dodd's attention, and the flashback ends. Dodd, now in the present, hears Otto calling his name. As he drives with Charlie, Charlie asks him why he's there instead of Hanzee, to which Dodd replies that Hanzee is busy looking for Rye. Dodd figures that now that Charlie is seventeen, he is old enough to contribute to the family business, but then comments on Bear's plan for Charlie to become a lawyer. Charlie says that he would rather do what Dodd does than be a lawyer, and then makes Dodd pull over so he can show him that he can shoot and reload a gun with only one good arm. Impressed, Dodd tells him to get back in the car. The two of them pull up to a doughnut shop, where they find a car with Missouri plates. Inside the shop, they find members of the Kansas City Mafia, Buntz and Taylor, who taunt Dodd. Dodd attacks them both with his cattle prod, then has Charlie knock one of them unconscious. Afterwards, he orders a chocolate glazed doughnut for himself and an old-fashioned doughnut for Charlie, saying that it's on the Kansas City men before leaving. Later, Dodd and his family meet with Joe Bulo and his men from Kansas City in order for Floyd to present her counter-offer to the deal. The counter-offer is that the Gerhardts will pay one million dollars, as well as give a portion of the Gerhardt territory in Minnesota under the condition that the family remains in control of their remaining territory. Joe says that if it was up to him, he would take the offer, but because of Dodd's assault on Buntz and Taylor, he does not believe that Floyd's sons would uphold the deal. Angry and offended, Dodd asks his mother why she is letting the Kansas City men disrespect their family. He begins to insult Bulo and his men, and Floyd has him removed from the room. In the car on the way back from the meeting, Dodd rests his head on his mother's shoulder. He seeks comfort by taking her hand and holding it to his face, which she initially refuses. When he gives up, she begins to cry, stroking his hair. When they return home, Floyd tells Dodd and Bear that they will not be accepting Bulo's offer, and that they are going to war. "The Gift of the Magi" Dodd is present when Hanzee shows Floyd Rye's belt buckle, explaining that he was hit by a car and then finished off at a second location. When Floyd asks who killed Rye, Hanzee tells her vaguely that it was the butcher. Dodd jumps on the opportunity to tell his mother that the "Butcher of Luverne," a contract man out of Kansas City. Hanzee plays along, telling Floyd that Kansas City took Rye as a 'bargaining chip' for negotiations between the two organizations then mistakenly killed Rye, then panicked and covered it up, knowing that if Floyd found out Rye was dead, the deal would be off. Dodd acts satisfied that he was correct. After the ambush of the Kansas City hunting party, Dodd returns home. He tells his mother of his success while eating an apple, to make him look even more like an asshole. Floyd tells him that she wants the Butcher dead, to which Dodd responds that he is sending Virgil. Charlie then approaches Dodd, insisting that he can help in taking out the butcher. Dodd brushes him off at first, but Charlie convinces him by reminding him that if the Butcher killed a Gerhardt, it should be a Gerhardt to take him out. Dodd, proud and amused, sends Charlie off with Virgil. As Dodd heads back into the house, Simone passes by him, saying that she is running an errand. He tries to stop her, but to no avail. Later, Dodd happens upon Bear conversing with Hanzee. Dodd insists that in order for Bear to talk to Hanzee, he needs to talk to Dodd first. Bear warns Dodd that in the end, everyone gets what's coming to them. When Simone returns from her 'errand,' Dodd asks her where she's been. He then asks her if she thinks she's grown, then tells her that being grown comes with a price. Floyd then steps in, giving Simone a chance to escape. "Rhinoceros" As Dodd approaches the Gerhardt residence, Simone comes outside and tells Bear, who is on the porch, that Charlie is on the phone. Dodd begins to lecture his daughter on a "whore's life," but is interrupted when Bear comes running back outside, attacking Dodd for sending Charlie to kill the Butcher. He beats Dodd mercilessly until Hanzee levels a gun at his head, allowing Dodd a chance to get up. He threatens to beat Bear with his belt but is stopped by Floyd, who tells him that he will tear the family apart. She then sends Bear to the police station to bring back Charlie, and Dodd to the Butcher's house. Dodd arrives at Ed and Peggy Blumquist's house to find Hank Larsson standing guard. Dodd asks him if Ed is home. When Hank acts like he doesn't know who Ed is, Dodd threatens him with his cattle prod. Hank tells him that Ed was taken to the station an hour prior. Dodd accuses him of lying, then begins to approach the house with his men in tow. Hanzee, who has snuck into the Blumquist's house, comes up behind Hank through the front door and knocks him out. Dodd sends Hanzee and two men to the precinct under orders to find and kill Ed, then enters the house. Inside the house, Dodd searches for Peggy. He takes his men into the basement, leaving one stationed on the stairs and sending the other to search through the maze of magazines. Dodd hears something shatter, followed by the sound of the man groaning, and takes out his gun, telling him to shut up. Behind him, the other goon kicks something on accident, making a noise. Startled Dodd shoots him, then quickly realizes his mistake. He begins to squeeze his way through the stacks of magazines, finding the first man lying dead next to a broken sink. Stepping over him, Dodd threatens Peggy. In order to squeeze through a particularly tight space, Dodd leaves his cattle prod behind, turning corners carefully with his gun drawn. When he can't find her, he turns to go back the way he came but is stopped by Peggy, who wields his cattle prod. She shocks him with it, knocking him to the floor. When he insults her, she shocks him again, effectively knocking him unconscious. "Did You Do This? No, You Did It!" Dodd is only mentioned in this episode. After the funeral for Rye and Otto, Simone asks if anyone has heard anything from him, as he has been missing for two days. Bear believes that Dodd is already dead, and Simone reminds Floyd that her sons are just men, and Floyd hits her, telling her that she is no less violent and aggressive than her father. Simone runs off, trailed by Ricky G. "Loplop" Dodd regains consciousness tied to a support beam in the Blumquist's basement, where he catches the tail end of Peggy's conversation with the self-actualization guru. When Ed arrives, Dodd claims to be a 'concerned citizen', which Ed doesn't buy, punching him and knocking him out again. Ed and Peggy put Dodd in the back of his own car, then drive it to Ed's Uncle Grady's hunting cabin in Sioux Falls, Dodd in tow. When Ed and Peggy arrive at the cabin, Ed opens the trunk. Dodd kicks Ed, knocking him over, then attempts to escape. Peggy knocks him out with his cattle prod again. Dodd is being tied to a beam in the cabin when he awakens, complaining that he bit part of his tongue off. He then threatens the Blumquists, receiving no reaction from Ed. Angrily, he struggles to escape. While Ed is at the convenience store trying to contact the Gerhardts, Dodd continues to struggle. Peggy taunts him. Dodd tries to explain to her that because he has four daughters, he isn't a bad person. Peggy doesn't buy it. When he threatens her, Peggy stabs him with a kitchen knife. He insults her again, earning himself another stab wound. Defeated, he submits to her. Peggy then offers him baked beans, which he refuses, but she feeds them to him anyway as she explains how the whole ordeal was an accident. Dodd refuses the beans again but gives in eventually. When he hears Ed pull back into the driveway, the relief is apparent on his face. Upon entering the cabin, Ed notices the stab wounds in Dodd's chest and asks Peggy if she stabbed him. Peggy says no, and Dodd whispers that she did, begging Ed for help and telling him that Peggy is crazy. Ed ignores him. Later, Dodd tells Peggy and Edd that he has to use the restroom. Refusing to untie him, Ed has no choice but to help Dodd urinate into a tea kettle. Ed then leaves to call the Gerhardts again. Later still, while Ed and Peggy are trying to sleep, Peggy complains that Dodd is staring at them. Ed puts a pillowcase over his head. By the time Ed returns from calling the Gerhardts and Mike Milligan the next day, Dodd has escaped and knocked Peggy out. As Ed approaches Peggy, Dodd throws a noose around his neck and hangs him from the rafters. Dodd then begins lecturing Ed about having a "woman problem," calling Peggy crazy and saying that it is the male of the species that has the potential for greatness. He tells Ed that he believes Satan is a woman. He does not notice that Peggy has regained consciousness until she has grabbed the knife that she stabbed him with earlier. When he does notice her, he begins complaining again, giving Peggy the chance to stab him through the foot. She breaks the handle off of the knife, leaving only the blade. He slices his fingers trying to pull the blade out, then instead attempts to pull his foot upwards off of the blade. As soon as he is free, Peggy hits him in the back of the neck with a poker, knocking him out once again. When Dodd comes to, he complains about his neck. When Hanzee breaks into the cabin, Dodd is relieved, urging him to take him to a hospital. When Hanzee doesn't act immediately, Dodd begins to insult him, at one point mentioning that he can't feel his legs. Increasingly frustrated with Hanzee's stalling, Dodd calls him a mongrel, and Hanzee shoots him in the head, leaving his body on the floor of the cabin. Episode Appearances Season 2 * 201 - Waiting for Dutch * 202 - Before the Law * 203 - The Myth of Sisyphus * 204 - Fear and Trembling * 205 - The Gift of the Magi * 206 - Rhinoceros * 208 - Loplop * 209 - The Castle * 210 - Palindrome (corpse) Murders Committed * Unknown Man - Ears cut off and bled to death. (Waiting for Dutch) * Kellerman - Stabbed in the back of the head. (Fear and Trembling) * Skip Sprang - Buried alive in asphalt. (The Myth of Sisyphus) Incomplete list Trivia To be added Category:Characters Category:TV series characters Category:Season 2 recurring characters Category:Males Category:Criminals Category:Killers Category:Deceased Category:Gerhardt Crime Syndicate